Page 37 of Broken Dreams

It’s ruthless and feral.

“I really don’t want to know how you managed to get a knife in here,” I mumble behind Alesso’s hand.

“I have hidden pockets in my pants,” the alpha behind me murmurs. “Now, let’s get the fuck out of here. Can you keep it together for us? For her?”

These alphas fight really fucking dirty, but I don’t need the reminder of what’s on the line. Nodding behind Alesso’s hand, he lets me go.

“It wouldn’t be a rescue without a little bloodletting,” Callum mutters, grabbing the beta under his arms to drag him away.

“There’s a storage closet two doors up,” I tell him.

Duncan grabs Saxon’s feet, and between the two of them they manage to get him into the closet. If I had to guess, Saxon weighs in at over three hundred pounds. I know I wouldn’t be able to get him to move at all. It’s impressive that they make it look so easy.

“Sorry you had to see that,” Lucas says, as if it was a fit of anger gone wrong. “Don’t step in the blood.”

I’m barefoot.The reminder is jolting, a clear sign that I’m pulling away emotionally from what’s happening in order to be able to get through it. This is how I deal with a lot of the shitty things in my life, but I have to force myself to stay present.

Callum and Duncan wait for us as I pick my way carefully around the damp areas on the carpet. The flooring is a black fabric, so it’s not very noticeable in the low light here. As I walk by, Callum hands Alesso back his knife, freshly cleaned off somehow.

Shuddering, I decide I don’t want to know. Everything feels bigger than it should be, the knowledge that I’m walking away from the horror of the past eight years fucking with me in a big way.

“Where to?” Duncan asks, his voice low and dangerous to match the fact that he just killed someone.

In any other circumstance, it would be sexy. Right now, I’m simply terrified. All I want is to keep moving.

Taking a page from Makayla’s usual silence, I jerk my head forward, and the alphas follow me without a word. The sounds of the club are louder back here. True to form, the guards are lecherously watching their own private sex show as the omegas work their clients over.

The only person who would be dancing tonight is Makayla, so the stage is empty. I use the shadows to my advantage as I walk past.

My goal is to make it to the back door on the far side of the building, and the further I walk, the quieter it is.

“Here,” I grunt, nodding at the back door. “It’s not hooked up to an alarm. Bret is too cheap, and it’s not worth it when we won’t be here long.”

“I bet he’ll rethink that,” Alesso says with a savage smile, opening the door.

It isn’t an emergency exit, just a simple levered handle leading to the outdoors and fresh air. No alarm sounds as we walk out, no one yells. For years, the simple fear that we’d get caught and the constant vigilance of Bret and the guards have kept us all in line.

Tonight, every omega is working except for Makayla and I, and if the alphas hadn’t killed Saxon, we’d never have made it out. I’m taking a breath of warm air because of them.

I’ll never forget that, even if this is a mistake.

“Took you long enough,” a deep growl says, making the hair on my body stand up as he appears next to me. Oh fuck.

The alpha has red hair covered with a black knit beanie so it won’t stick out like a beacon in the night. I can only see a small bit that tells me it’s unruly as it peeks out of the hat. He’s wearing all black, but what gets my attention is a baby head tucked underneath a black long sleeved henley.

Is that an actual baby? What the fuck is a baby doing on what seems to be a rescue mission? God, who is this guy?

“Heats aren’t an exact science, Kane,” Callum says sarcastically as we keep walking over the black concrete. “Be careful of glass that may be out here, Linus.”

It’s pitch black as we walk. It’ll be easier to pick it out later than try to look down and possibly trip.

“We picked up an extra omega?” another alpha asks with black curly hair. Without me realizing, three other men have slid out of the shadows. They all have guns in their hands, looking for danger they may not find.

“Long story, Jed,” Duncan murmurs. “The owner of the club is unconscious and we killed a guard. These alphas helped us get out with minimal noise.”

“That’s how we like our operations,” the beta says under his breath. He has long locs that are bound in a bun at the base of his neck. He also has a gun in his hand as he watches his phone for something. “I’m a superstitious fuck, so let’s not say the actual word, yeah?”

“No problem of that here,” Alesso says. “I’m just as superstitious. My car is just there. It appears you’re in good hands.”

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